Flying propeller toy

ABSTRACT

A TOY COMPRISING A HANDLE, A THREADED POST ON THE UPPER END OF THE HANDLE, A SPOOL THREADED UPON THE POST AND CARRYING A PROPELLER RELEASABLY LOCKED THEREON FOR ROTATION THEREWITH ATTENDANT TO AN OPERATOR PULLING A STRING WOUND ABOUT THE SPOOL. ROTATION OF THE SPOOL WINDS UP A RETURN SPRING CONNECTED BETWEEN THE HANDLE AND SPOOL AND THREADS THE SPOOL DOWN ONTO THE POST WHICH CAUSES THE POST TO PROJECT THROUGH THE TOP OF THE SPOOL TO RELEASE AND EJECT THE PROPELLER FROM THE SPOOL. THE HANDLE HAS A GUIDE FOR THE STRING WHICH COOPERATES WITH THE ROTATION OF THE SPOOL AND ITS ASCENT ALONG THE POST AS EFFECTED BY UNWINDING OF THE SPRING TO EVENLY WIND THE STRING IN A HELICAL PATTERN ONTO THE SPOOL. THE STRING IS ANCHORED TO THE UPPER END OF THE SPOOL AND THE GUIDE IS ADJACENT TO THE LOWER END OF THE SPOOL. AN AIR CHAMBER FORMED BETWEEN THE POST AND SPOOL FORMING A DASH-POT TO REDUCE END SHOCK LOADING ON THE TOY AND STRING AND TO   FORCE COOLING AIR THROUGH THE THREADS OF THE PLASTIC TOY TO INCREASE ITS LONGEVITY.

Jan. 19, 1971 DA I'TILQ 3,555,720

FLYING PROPELLER TOY Filed March 24, 1969 FIG. 1 655;

Inventor Frank Dclrrilo 8 -44 7v Arrorney United States Patent 3,555,720FLYING PROPELLER TOY Frank Dattilo, 847 S. Hannah Ave., Forrest Park,111. 60130 Filed Mar. 24, 1969, Ser. No. 809,503 Int. Cl. A63h 27/00 US.CI. 4683 10 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A toy comprising a handle,a threaded post on the upper end of the handle, a spool threaded uponthe post and carrying a propeller releasably locked thereon for rotationtherewith attendant to an operator pulling a string wound about thespool. Rotation of the spool winds up a return spring connected betweenthe handle and spool and threads the spool down onto the post whichcauses the post to project through the top of the spool to release andeject the propeller from the spool. The handle has a guide for thestring which cooperates with the rotation of the spool and its ascentalong the post as effected by unwinding of the spring to evenly wind thestring in a helical pattern onto the spool. The string is anchored tothe upper end of the spool and the guide is adjacent to the lower end ofthe spool. An air chamber formed between the post and spool forming adash-pot to reduce end shock loading on the toy and string and to forcecooling air through the threads of the plastic toy to increase itslongevity.

DISCUSSION OF THE PRIOR ART In prior art devices the propeller wasloosely held upon the spool so that upon rotation of the spool thepropeller would leave in flight before attaining substantial speed thuslimiting the flight distance thereof. Further in many such devices, thestring would have to be manually wound onto the spool and in deviceswhich provided a string return the string was not guided and tangled or,if guided, the mechanism for guiding was so complex as to be subject toearly failure particularly in the hands of a child. In addition, if thestring were anchored extending the string beyond its length would breakit or the toy.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a novel toy which isrelatively inexpensive to make and in which the parts, that is the spoolin its ascent and descent, cooperates with the string guide not only toevenly wind up the string but also concurrently functions to cause thepost to eject the propeller from the spool when the propeller hasattained substantially maximum speed.

A more specific object is to provide in such a toy a novel arrangementof a torsion spring which is wound up and simultaneously compressed toutilize its maximum capacity for rotating the spool.

A still further object is to provide a novel toy as described in which apropeller-driving spool has a pullstring attached to one end thereof andwound thereon helically from said one end to adjacent an opposite endthereof, the free end of the string being passed through a stationaryguide, the spool moving axially relative to the guide while rotatingwhereby the string winds and unwinds in a helical pattern with respectto the spool.

The invention comprehends a novel arrangement of the 3,555,720 PatentedJan. 19, 1971 parts such that the rotation of the spool not only causesit to traverse axially but also effects release and ejection of theflying propeller and concurrently guides the string to wind and unwindin a helical pattern on the spool.

A further object is to provide in such toy a novel air compressing meanswhich functions two fold, one being to provide a dash pot to ease thedescent of the spool and reduce shock loading on the spring and theother being to blow air through the threads to reduce the frictionaldrag and to cool these areas to extend the life of the toy whichpreferably is made of low melting point plastics, such as nylon.

These and other objects and advantages inherent in and encompassed bythe invention will become more apparent from the specifications anddrawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of my novel toy, the parts shownpreparatory to launching of the flying part;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary top view taken on line 22 of FIG. 1; and,

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view partly in axial section showing theparts at time of launching.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The novel flying toy, generally designated1 comprises a handle 2 at its lower end including a scalloped hand grip3 which has a centrally located bore 4 at the lower end of a bell-shapedsocket portion 5 which is formed integral with and extends upwardly fromthe upper portion of handle 2.

The bore 4 snugly admits a complementally shaped reduced-diameter lowerend portion 6 of a post 7 which has a transverse opening 8 through whichextends a securing pin 9 which has an inner end 10 fitted into opening11 in the handle and an outer end portion 12 extendig through coaxialopening 13 in the handle through which the pin 9 may be drivenexternally of the handle.

The post 7 has an intermediate enlarged cylindrical portion 14 whichprovides a shoulder 15 seated upon the closed lower end surface 16 ofthe socket opening or bore 17. The upper portion 18 of the post is ofreduced crosssection and is provided with a screw thread 19 whichcooperates with a complementary thread 20 formed in a vertical bore 21of a spool 22.

The spool 22 is essentially a cylindrical structure having an annularlower outturned peripheral flange 24 which fits into the enlarged upperportion 25 of the socket opening 17 and affords a seat 27 at its lowerside for the upper end of a torsion spring 29 which at its upper end hasan upwardly extending anchor end 30 projecting into an anchor notch oraperture 32 in the flange 24. The upper portion of the spring surroundsa cylindrical hollow air chamber cylinder 34 which has a lower open end35. The chamber 36 has an internal diameter slightly larger than theexternal diameter of the intermediate portion 14 of the post 7 andtelescopes thereover. The spring 26 is compressed against the seatingsurface 16. The lower portion of spring 29 is captured within a closeconfining smaller diameter lower portion 37 of the socket opening. Thespring has a downturned anchor end 38 which fits into a notch 39extending into handle 2 through surface 16. The spring winds upattendant to an operator pulling on the handle 40 on free end of thepull string 42 which is threaded through a guide 44 in the form of aneye formed integral with the upper portion 46 of the socket portion andspaced radially from the strivereceiving periphery 48 of the spool.

The string 42 is wound helically on the periphery 48 to the upper end ofthe spool whereat it extends through an anchoring aperture 50 in one oftwo diametrically opposed lugs 52, 54. The end of the string is knottedabove the upper surface 56 of lug 51 thereby anchoring the inner end ofthe string.

The lugs 52, 54 provide upwardly facing coplanar seating surfaces 57, 58upon which rests the root portions 60, 61 of a pair of blades 62, 63 ofa propeller 62' which has a central hub portion generally indicated 64comprising a depending rounded abutment 65a in axial alignment with arounded upper head end 6512 of the combination post-ejector 7.'The upperpart 65c of the hub is coned to provide a massive center structure andaerodynamic balance.

The propeller is provided with apertures 66, 67 through the rootportions 60, 61 which receive pins 68, 69 secured to lugs 52, 54 andprojecting upwardly therefrom. The pins 68, 69 with the apertures 66, 67provide a releaseable interlock, said pins 68, 69 being inclinedupwardly toward each other and adapted to spring apart upon the spoolbeing threaded down by pull on the string as seen in FIG. 3 whereuponthe post which exits from the spool ejects the propeller by forcing itupwardly off the pins.

It is contemplated that the entire toy will be made of plastic which, ofcourse, is subject to deterioration and distortion when heated. Afeature of the present invention is the provision of the air chamber 36which with the shoulder 70 on the upper end of portion 14, which servesas a piston, forces the air upwardly through opening 72 in the upper endof chamber 36 into the threaded bore 21 of the spool which tends to coolthe loose fitting threads of the post and bore this pressurized airexhausting through the upper open end 74 of bore 21. Some of the airflowing past the threads may serve as a bearing to minimize thefrictional heat developed during rotation of the parts. The air chamberserves an additional function of a dash pot to cushion and preventabrupt bottoming of the upper surface 75 of the chamber against theshoulder 70 and/or the lower edge 76 of the cylinder against surface 16if the operator should pull the string beyond normal range to an extentto thread the spool down thus fair. Although the length of string isproportioned to allow an excess to remain on the spool as seen in FIG. 1to take care of normal pull.

OPERATION OF THE DEVICE Assuming that the parts are as shown in FIG. 1,the operator grasps the handle 2 in one hand and the string handle 40 inthe other hand. He rapidly accelerates the pull on the string 42. Thiscauses the spool 22 and propeller 62 to rotate. This action concurrentlyunwinds the string and threads the spool proportionately downwardlywhich compresses the air in the chamber 36. At the same time the spring29 winds up and the upper ejector portion 65b of the spool extendsthrough the upper end opening of the spool and the nose of the ejectorabuts against the hub bearing 65a on the bottom of the propeller. Thisaction is momentary and continues until the propeller is freed from thepins 68, 69 and is thus launched into free flight.

Release of tension on the string by the operator causes the returnspring 29 to unwind thus reversely rotating the spool and causing it toascend. Because the guiding eye 44 is stationary, the string winds up onthe spool in helical coils. Concurrently with the spool moving upwardlyair is aspirated into the chamber under the lower edge 35 of thecylinder and between the male and female threads of the post and spoolthus cooling the same.

After retrieving the flying propeller, it is again inserted onto thepins and seated preparatory to another launch- It will be noted that theair exhausting and aspirating 4 through the threads and the lower edgeof the air chamber produces a swishing sound which adds to the enjoymentof the toy.

A preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed. However, itwill be realized that various other forms will become apparent withinthe scope of this disclosure.

I claim:

1. A propeller toy and the like comprising a handle, a post projectingupwardly therefrom and terminating in an upper end, a spool sleeved onthe post, interthreaded thread means on the spool and post operative totraverse the spool up and down the post upon rotation re spectively ofthe spool in reverse directions, propeller means mounted upon the spool,means releasably interlocking the propeller means to the spool, andmeans for acceleratingly rotating the spool with the propeller meansthereon in a direction traversing the spool downwardly on the post, saidpost disposed in axial alignment with said propeller means andprojecting at said upper end upwardly from said spool into engagementwith the propeller means upon downward traverse of the spool ofpredetermined extent and operative to release said propeller means fromsaid interlocking means by ejecting said propeller means from the spoolwhile said propeller means is at substantially maximum rotationalacceleration.

2. The invention according to claim 1 and a seating portion on thehandle opposing the spool, return spring means sleeved over the postbetween the spool and said opposed seating portion on the handle andanchored thereto, said spring means operative to wind up attendant tothe spool being rotated to traverse downwardly on the post to launchsaid propeller means, and said spring unwinding to traverse the spoolupwardly in the post to prelaunch position by unthreading the spool withrespect to the post.

3. The invention according to claim 2 and said means for acceleratinglyrotating the spool comprising a chord having one end anchored to thespool adjacent one end thereof and having a helical winding, thereon aguide on the handle offset radially from the spool adjacent to theopposite end thereof, and said chord having a free end portion extendingthrough the guide for grasp and pull by an operator.

4. The invention according to claim 1 and said means for acceleratinglyrotating the spool comprising a chord wound upon the spool and anchoredthereto, and a dash pot air chamber between the post and spool operativeafter predetermined descent of the spool to gradually resist rotation ofthe spool in an unwinding direction of the chord.

5. The invention according to claim 4 and said chamber having an upperend opening communicating with said thread means for discharging airtherethrough for cooling the same.

6. The invention according to claim 1 and said interlocking meanscomprising a pair of upwardly convergingly resisting rotation of thespool toward the lower end ametrically displaced openings receivingrespective pins, said pins being spread to generally parallel relationin consequence of said propeller means being urged upwardly by said postto dislocate said propeller means from said pins and thereby releasesaid propeller means.

7. The invention according to claim 1 and means forming a dashpotbetween said post and spool for increasingly resisting rotation of thespool toward the lower end the post beyond a predetermined point.

8. The invention according to claim 1 and means for cooling said postand spool at said thread means concurrent with rotation of the spool onthe post by passing pressurized air therethrough.

9. The invention according to claim 1 and said spool having an axialbore, and the thread means on the spool being within bore, a cylinderdepending from said spool having a lower open end, a piston on the postextending into said lower open end of the cylinder and defining acompression chamber therewith for pressurizing air therein duringdescent of the spool and aspirating air thereinto upon ascent of thespool.

10. The invention according to claim 1 and said spool having a pair ofdiametrically disposed lugs at its upper end flexible axially of thespool, said interlocking means comprising elements on said lugs andcooperating elements on said propeller means releasable in consequenceof said post urging said propeller means upwardly.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,264,733 4/1918 Williams 46851,419,041 6/ 1922 Gillen 46-82 5 1,802,386 4/1931 Kline 44-'82 2,938,300 5/ 1960 Newstrt et a1 4683 LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner 10D. L. WEINHOLD, JR., Assistant Examiner

